A Different Kind of Doctor
by Galaxy-Defending-Hopeful
Summary: Floynter Oneshot. Tom wakes up in the middle of the night to use the toilet and finds Dougie writhing on the floor in immense agony. Taking him to the hospital, they both reveal to each other what they have kept under wraps since they first met. 2003!fic, Floynter, fluffy, oneshot, mild swearing, no sexual content.


**I do not own McFly. Set in the band house in 2003. Swearing, sickness and Floynter (nothing graphic though). Enjoy, and feel free to review. Sorry for not updating much recently, but I have a very busy summer. Also, if anything medical is incorrect I apologize, but I don't know much about anything, really.**

* * *

Dougie curled up, clutching his side as another violent spasm of pain passed through him. He'd had a bad pain in his side for about an hour, and it felt too terrible to just be normal stomach pain. It was in the wrong place, anyway. He glanced at the small digital clock that sat on his bedside table. It read 3:07. Maybe it'd feel a bit better if he took some paracetamol. Groaning, the fifteen year old stood up shakily and took an incredibly slow walk to the door. Despite it only being a few feet, it took him almost three minutes to stumble the distance. Waves of hot, bursting pain ran through him, and he bent almost double, feeling a tide of vomit rising in his throat. As Dougie emptied his stomach, it occurred to him that maybe something very serious was going on. He hadn't been sick through illness, he had literally puked with pain. He needed medical attention as soon as possible.

"Tom..." he moaned the word, leaning against the wall and trying to ignore the vicious contractions in his side. "Tom..." again, louder.

* * *

Tom yawned and stretched, glancing at the clock – four in the morning. He needed a wee. Grumbling to himself about leaving the warmth of his bed, he climbed out from between the sheets and ambled out of the door, only to immediately jump back again. Lying on the floor, clutching his side and seemingly seized by a fever, was Dougie.

"Dougie?" Tom exclaimed, kneeling down and turning the younger boy gently onto his side. Dougie seemed semi-conscious.

"What's wrong, mate?" Tom asked, leaning behind him for a clean t-shirt and using it to wipe off Dougie's sweaty forehead.

"My side..." Dougie moaned. He suddenly doubled up, tears streaming from his eyes. The intensity of the situation bore into Tom. Dougie needed the hospital, right now. As gently as he could in his panic-fueled state, Tom lifted his skinny friend (Dougie was incredibly light, and also rather short) and carefully walked down the stairs, grabbed his keys, unlocked the door and stumbled out to his Mini. He set Dougie lying down in the back seat, and feeling around for his own coat, he covered his friend with it. Then, he locked the car again to keep Dougie safe and dashed into the house. He scrawled a note for when the other two woke up, and into his small travel bag he stuffed a couple of pairs of Dougie's pants, his toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant, a t-shirt of Dougie's that was baggy enough not to be tight on any soreness left in the morning and Dougie's mobile phone and charger. He was back in the car with the front door locked in a minute, shoving the bag into the passenger seat and screeching off into the night, trying not to cry at the sounds Dougie was emitting.

* * *

"It's a case of acute appendicitis." the doctor told Tom. "He's going into surgery in a few minutes – it's an emergency. We'll remove his appendix and he'll be alright afterwards, but he'll have to stay in hospital for at least a week so we can observe him. Do you want to go back to your home and get some clothes and things for him while he is in surgery?"

Tom was in a daze. He nodded dumbly. "How long will the operation last?"

"About 45 minutes, but there will be the preparation time beforehand, and he'll be out of it for another half an hour at least from the anaesthesia. Even after that he will be extremely groggy for a couple of hours, so he'll only really start appreciating your company at around seven, half seven maybe, in the morning."

Tom nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

When he got back, he stuffed some more clothes, Dougie's MP3 player and some movies into another bag, along with a collection of snack food (he knew through experience how awful hospital food can be). He re-wrote his note to Danny and Harry more coherently, and then drove back down to the grim building, fear racing through him. Dougie, his little Dougie, was in theatre. He had been in so much pain, and Tom hadn't realised. How long had he been lying outside of his door, in incredible, torturous pain and all by himself? As Tom mentally beat himself up, the image of Dougie, dressed in the hospital gown, so tiny and pale on the hospital bed, popped up in his mind. He shook his head, and finally drew into the car park.

* * *

When Dougie came around, he found Tom sitting right beside him, asleep with his head resting on the bed. Sleepily, he felt a sharp pain at his waist, and pulling the gown aside he saw a plaster taped to it, with two small bloodstains on it. Shuffling to a position a little more comfortable, Tom stirred – and then went crazy.

"Dougie! I thought you- I can't believe- Dougie!" he cried out, all in a few seconds. He grabbed Dougie ever so carefully and tightly hugged him, pulling him close to his soft chest.

"Calm down, Tom." Dougie replied with a smile, still heavily drugged.

"Dougie, I thought you were gonna die before I could tell you that I love you-" Tom suddenly stopped talking, and his body became tense against Dougie's. Dougie laughed.

"You love me?" Dougie asked, smiling.

Tom was silent for a few seconds. "Forget I ever said anything."

"I love you too, dude."

Tom drew back, staring with shock at his recent best friend. Then, he pushed himself straight back to Dougie, clinging to him. He gave a small laugh.

"What?" Dougie asked, laughing too.

"It took you ending up in hospital for us to say that."

Dougie responded by kissing Tom on the tip of his nose.

* * *

When Danny and Harry arrived at the hospital and were redirected to the correct room, they found Dougie and Tom quietly talking, their hands clasped together.

"Ooo-er!" joked Harry, grinning. "How are you, mate?"

"A lot better. God knows what would have happened if Tom hadn't found me on the floor by his room."

"Why did you go for Tom's room?" Danny asked. "His is up a flight of stairs in the loft, our rooms are just across the landing!"

Dougie faltered. He had gone for Tom's room because Tom was the only one who made him feel safe, and secure.

"Because Tom can drive and you two can't." he quickly responded, smiling. Tom glanced at Dougie, and Dougie glanced back. The look they shared was quite profound.

"Are you two shagging?" Danny asked. Tom opened his mouth in shock to reply, but Dougie quickly replied,

"Not yet!" with a wink.

"Doug!" Tom exclaimed, a blush staining his cheeks. Harry and Danny laughed loudly.

"About time." Harry said plainly. "You've been halfway there for a long while."

Tom grew even redder, while Dougie just smiled.

Maybe appendicitis wasn't all bad.


End file.
